General Notes 589 



causes or encourages the trees to become 

 diseased, the trouble may be due to the soil 

 being altogether unsuitable." 



Another correspondent recommended trying 

 Messrs. Newton, Chambers and Go's, proprie- 

 tary preparation, " Izal," basing his suggestion 

 on the following : " Since it is stated that the 

 disease is due to an organism practically 

 identical with Bacillus coli, then I should 

 imagine that Izal would be an efficient dis- 

 infectant and preventive. I say this because 

 Izal possesses a carbolic acid coefficient against 

 this organism of about 14, which means that 

 it is claimed to be fourteen times as effi- 

 cient as pure carbolic acid. I feel certain 

 therefore that if it was applied in a proper 

 manner to the diseased parts of the palms, it 

 should kill the organism causing bud-rot. 

 The preparation can be mixed with limewash, 

 and I think that if this were done, and the 

 mixture applied to the bases of the leaves and 

 spathes, it should in the first place prevent the 

 plants becoming infected, and in the case of 

 infected plants would probably kill the bacteria, 

 and certainly would prevent it spreading to 

 other parts. 



" I do not anticipate that the mixture would 

 injure the plant in any way, but never having* 

 used it on coco-nut palms, I cannot speak with 

 certainty. I think, however, that it would be 

 well to try its effect on diseased plants. With 

 regard to the strength of the mixture, I would 



